


Burned Umber

by DarkenedSkylight



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Add tags as I go?, Alternate Universe, Angst, Genderfluid Character, Multi, Paranormal Abilities, Physically and mentally genderfluid Damian, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-15 00:42:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10547108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkenedSkylight/pseuds/DarkenedSkylight
Summary: "But what if I hurt you? I could rip you to pieces, Timothy." Damian hugged herself, bowing her head and hiding her eyes, turning away from Tim. "What if I'm not even what you want? What if I've lied to you this whole time? I'm not even-"She let out a small "oof" as Tim collided with her, dragging her to the floor and gathering her into his arms, pushing her face into his chest and encasing her within his arms."It wouldn't matter." he murmured. "You could rip my heart out, and I'd let you."Damian pretended she wasn't crying.~Or, the AU where Damian is a test-tube child with a body able to change gender and appearance at will. When Benjamin is born, a real child of Talia and Bruce, Damian's position as heir is threatened. They run, taking Benjamin with them, and are joined by Jason and Cassandra. The trio make their way to Gotham, planning to deliver the baby to his father and then leave.Things don't go according to plan.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave your thoughts in the comments. ^-^

The palace was enormous. Most days, Damian wished it wasn’t. He flung himself from the railing, landing on the chandelier and dropping to the floor, rolling with the impact and running. The floor was hard under his weight, and he could feel the pull of his shoulder as he landed. It was most likely sprained. The boy’s clothes were dark, black as night, red accents the colour of blood gone from the standard assassin’s uniform. Picking those accents out had been extremely beneficial in his escape. The ebony floors aided him none in the sound of his boots against it. They slapped heavily, as he had throw away stealth in favour of speed. Stealth mattered little now - they had already realized he was gone. He made for the large, wooden, double doors at the end of the hallway, ignoring the windows along the sides. The room was large, shaped like an octagon and sparsely decorated. They would expect him to go through the windows. The door was obvious, and Damian had never been known to be obvious. He supposed that maybe he shouldn’t have ran, but nothing other than drastic measures would garner his mother’s attention. Ever since she had actually given birth to Batman’s son, Benjamin, she had no use for the test tube child, Damian himself. Damian was originally a project called Ibn, created by his mother. There were forty-seven clones of the original created. The original held the DNA of Talia and Batman, but was physically deformed. Talia kept cloning the original until Damian, the only one considered “perfect”. But he had been replaceable since his mother slept with the man. Damian launched himself out of double doors of the palace. Damian was sixteen now, Benjamin only a few months old. He was so small. Small and tucked under Damian’s arm. The teenager knew full well that Benjamin would be trained as an assassin. No one deserved that, no matter how the child had thrown Damian out of power. Damian knew that if he had stayed, he would have either been killed or made into Benjamin’s White Ghost. Damian nearly flew out of the palace, running straight into the forest. Predictable, but the trees provided cover. Any online transfer would be tracked. Any machine had tracers on it, ones Damian couldn’t find unless he knew for certain. But Damian was smart. As he dove into the British Columbian forest, he ran towards his horses, the one thing he could confirm would not be electronically tracked. He found his mare, shushing her gently as he mounted, no tack. He had always ridden better bareback anyway. She was jet black, lithe and fast. He clucked his tongue as he opened the paddock gate, and she ran. She knew these forests well, and Damian’s particular DPA allowed him to stay hidden. He’d be okay. Beside him, another set of hoofbeats began. Damian didn’t even need to look over his shoulder to know it was Cassandra and Jason. They had already sworn to support him,

“I know the way to Gotham.” Jason murmured, as Cassandra’s stallion pulled up beside Damian. Damian nodded, and Cassandra spurred her stallion onwards. The plan was to go to Gotham, to Batman and his Robins. To give Benjamin to him, return his young son. Damian was unsure of what to do next, after that mission had been completed. Jason had ties in Gotham, and once his Lazarus-influenced anger had faltered only slightly, Jason had begun to forgive. Damian knew he longed for the family he left behind, and if he wanted to stay in Gotham, Damian would not portets. The man had shuddered, and he deserved being allowed to choose his destiny for once in his life. Cassandra was equally devoted to Damian and Jason, and if she didn’t want to stay with Damian, he would also not protest. These people put their lives on the line to aid Damian in escaping, so the choice was the least of what Damian could offer them. Damian himself was not going to stay. At least, he didn’t believe so. It wouldn’t make sense. Batman would want a real child, not an experient with paranormal abilities. Damian didn’t belong in society. He was a freak of nature - he identified as male and female, and had the ability to change his body at will. He could change. He could always change. His body was like water, able to be shaped and moulded into anything at wil.. His mother preferred his male form, but he had a female and a non-gendered one, which was his natural. He was strange, alien, paranormal. Batman wouldn’t want him. Talia didn’t want him. Ra’s only wanted him for his body, to take control of it as his vessel.

_Damian._

Damian’s head looked over to his left, seeing Cassandra. She was strange too. Her DPA was not as apparent, but her telekinetic abilities, both actual telekinesis and psychic communication had saved his life multiple times.

_Do not worry. I will not leave you, and Jason does not long for Gotham any more than he longs for us. If you do not wish to stay in Gotham, we will follow you._

Damian nodded, and he smiled at her. A flash of white teeth was all he got visually in return. Damian returned his attention to the path ahead of him. The sounds of pursuit were gradually getting softer and softer. Damian knew they’d get away. He also knew his mother would be furious and his grandfather a mixture of amused and annoyed, but he found he did not care. Benjamin deserved a chance, and even if it made Damian’s planning more difficult, the child was important. Damian could not really think of himself as Benjamin’s older brother. SAn older brother was one who was around for the younger’s whole life - connected by blood. Comforted the younger, played with them, taught them. Damian would be nearly none of these things. Perhaps he would show up when Benjamin needed him, to physically or mentally protect him. And if Batman was as ignorant to DPAs as Mother claimed, then Damian would show up to see if Benjamin would manifest one. They were always dangerous when untrained. DPAs, Discovered Paranormal Abilities, often popped up randomly. They had almost nothing to do with genetics, and the specific types of DPAs were all deadly when they were undiscovered. There were three types of DPAs; Internal, External, and Ported. Who knew what type Benjamin may manifest? Externals were the most common, with Internal slightly rarer, and Imports as the rarest type. DPAs could manifest at any time, at any age. Jason had only manifested his External DPA after he had been resurrected, dipped in the Lazarus Pit. Damian had been born with his. Cassandra had only been discovered to have a DPA when she was young, and had already trained herself in it’s use and begun using it in combat. She was an Import - one whose DPA both could affect herself and the world around her. Externals, like Jason, could only affect the world around them, and an Internal DPA would only affect the person themselves.

In order to get to Gotham, they would have to push the horses. They were located on the west coast of Canada, on an island close to Vancouver. Damian had a boat with trusted crew ready to go the moment they appeared. They would secure the horses and then set off to the coast of British Columbia. From there, it would take roughly four hours by car, a vehicle that Damian would rent from a shop he had already picked out. They’d drive to the border, and cross into the United States, and from there, they’d follow the west coast down into Gotham. The trip would be a day or two at least. Damian refused to merely abandon the horses - he’d find a nice farm for them to live out their lives, with kind owners. He had a liquid body, and all water had to return to the sea. Damian looked out to the boat, as they were finally pulling out of the forest and towards the docked boat. It was small, a boat of only five crew members. Powered by coal and made of steel. Damian pulled up, the crew already rushing forwards to take the horses. A large hand clapped down on his shoulder, and he looked up into the redhead’s face, freckled with dirt staining it.

“Go. And good luck.” Colin said firmly, shooing Damian onto the boat, along with the baby Benjamin. “I will lead them away.” Colin’s face was determined, eyes hard as steel, but Damian knew he had to try anyway.

“You’ll be killed.” Damian said. “You know they’ll find you.” Damian locked eyes with Colin, watching the other man grin in response, overalls and red plaid shirt horribly, blatantly obvious in the darkness of the night. The League would come here next. He knew, Damian knew, they all knew. They would find Colin and kill him. Colin’s grin didn’t fade.  No matter what had happened to him, Colin’s grin never faded.

“I know.” Colin joked in response, chuckling. “Take my memory to Gotham, would’ya? I’ve always wanted to see what it looked like.” the only thing Damian could register when Colin ran off was that he was now missing one of his front teeth. Knowing Colin, probably lost it in a fight. A few mere seconds, and Colin was gone. Jason gently took Damians elbow as Cassandra took Benjamin from him. The horses were secured, and the boat set off, engine chugging along as it began the short journey to the coast of Canada. Cassandra stood at the helm of the boat, Benjamin in her arms. Jason was behind Damian, to his left. They were both older than himself by several years. Cassandra turned to look at both Damian and Jason, face grim.

“Arrow.” she spoke, only knowing a few words. Damian sighed shakily before nodding. He knew what it meant. Most likely, it was an arrow from Mother or Aunt Nyssa that felled Colin. They had the truest aim in the League. Jason didn’t give him a warning before Damian was wrapped up in the 26 year old’s arms. Jason was so much larger than Damian.

Damian had a small, liquid body.

“They’ll be looking for us.” Jason murmured. “You just change your appearance, Cass and I have disguises.”

“Alright.” Damian murmured, and Jason stepped back. Damian closed his eyes, and focused, his skin beginning to ripple unnaturally.

He could not lose or gain mass.

He shrank to 5’3”, hair growing rapidly and falling long to his waist, curly and messy. His skin lightened, pale as the moon, while he could feel his muscles and certain organs vanishing, being replaced with new ones. His lashes extended, chest growing heavier than normal and shoulders shrinking inward. Damian opened her eyes, still an electric green. That was the one part of herself she could not change. She sighed softly, looking down at herself. She was unused to having light skin. She was proud of her Saudi Arabian heritage, and she didn’t like the new skin tone. But she knew full well her Mother knew all of what she had just listed, including that Damian didn’t appreciate long hair. They’d be looking for a girl like that - shorter hair, darkened skin, green eyes. Jason stepped forward again, now towering over her.

“You okay?” he winced, and she blinked.

“We’ve been over this, Jason. It doesn’t hurt.” she said, voice softer and higher than she remembered. Jason nodded and ruffled her hair anyway. Damian looked down at herself. She’d have to think of a new name. She honestly didn’t mind being female. She respected their gender, she really did, and for some reason, she always did feel physically stronger asa  female than male. But her natural form did not have a gender, but was a mix of the two. Capable of carrying children and planting them. She sighed softly, the familiar itch under her skin reminding her that she was not in a natural state. She looked towards her companions, walking towards Cassandra. Damian had, after all, styled this particular body after the one female companion she had. Cassandra looked down at her as she approached, only 5’3” now. Damian couldn’t create mass, so the mass that went into her chest and hair often took from her height and general muscle mass.

_Are you supposed to look like my younger sister?_ Cassandra asked, blinking softly at her.

_Yes. That is what I tried for._ Damian answered, allowing Cassandra to lift her chin and look at her thoughtfully.

_I believe your name is… Isabella._ Cassandra commented. _Jason has the passports._ Damian nodded in response, stepping away from Cassandra and looking towards the approaching coat of British Columbia. Cassandra handed Benjamin off to her, the baby quiet. Cassandra slipped away, into the back, just as Jason came out wearing a blonde wig and blue contacts. Cassandra returned, with longer black hair, a wig, and green contacts. Damian’s companions returned to her side as they docked the boat, the crew leading the horses out of below deck. Damian gingerly stepped out onto the stairs set up leading down to the land. As she stalked down, she hip-checked the railing, cursing, stumbling, and grabbing the particular spot on her hip. It was always disorienting, going from male to female. She always hip-checked something.

“Come on, down you go.” Jason waltzed over, grabbing her by the hips and picking her up, carrying her off the stairs. She clung to his broad shoulders, knowing that if Jason had not taken her down, Cassandra would have slung her over her shoulder. When Jason put Damian down, he smoothed her shirt, grinning down at her.

“So. Here’s the passports.” he handed them out as Cassandra walked down. “I’m Jason Richard Jones, Cass is Amalie Elizabeth Ravens, and you’re Isabella Addison Ravens.” Jason listed. “I’m posing as the boyfriend of Amalie. We’re going to Gotham to see papa Ravens, since your parents are divorced. I’m around because I’m going to propose to her and want to get her dad’s permission. These are just in case we are pulled over before we get to the great city of Gotham.” Jason said the last bit sarcastically, but soon sobered up. “How are we going to get into Bruce Wayne’s house? We could drop the baby off if we find him as Batman, but I’m not sure we should throw a wailing kid at him while he’s fighting crime. We could also go and just knock on his door, but that’s boring.”

“I have an idea.” Damian allowed her lips to curl into a sly smirk. “Bruce Wayne has a gala going on soon. Both himself and his children will be there. Richard Grayson, aged 29 and Timothy Drake, aged 22. Richard is openly bisexual, and Timothy has not been confirmed, but has only dated women thus far. So you go after Richard, Jason, and I’ll take Timothy.”

Jason grinned. “Dickie-bird, huh? I promise I’ll I’ll get in faster. I’ll see if he even recognizes me first. You gonna charm Timmy?” Damian nodded in response, smiling softly. “You gonna sleep with him?” Jason asked, raising an eyebrow. Damian shrugged.

“Depends.” she answered. “If you want to go to the gala, I won’t stop you, and I will merely be around and study the others with Cassandras. If not, and you watch our backs, then I would do whatever it takes.”

Jason snorted. “You need to get laid more, Dami. Alright, if you guys go in, I’ll watch your backs.” Damian nodded back, smirking.

“I supposed Timothy does seem attractive.” she shrugged. “I;d consider it.” Jason barked a laugh at that, clapping her on the back. He stalked off, and Damian followed, going to the horses and then heading to the car rental. It would only be a matter of time until they were in Gotham.

They rode, heading for the car rental quickly. When they got there it was Cassandra who went inside to rent the car. She returned, with a truck and trailer, and after they got the horses secured, they began heading towards the border. Jason drove, speeding as much as he could before seeing any police officers. They only got pulled over once, a record for Jason, the fake driver’s license and passports working perfectly. They continued, going through the border easily and passing into the United States. They weren’t stupid enough to leave weapons lying around the car. Damian knew for a fact that Jason had guns and knives everywhere, and Cassandra was always armed to the teeth - literally. She had spikes that would pop out and stab anyone she bit transplanted into her gums. Jason, when being particularly annoying, had been on the receiving end of it, and it had been _hilarious_. Cassandra was in the back seat, watching for any signs of pursuit while Damian had her feet propped ip against the dashboard, boots spotless, her hair flying out into the wind. Json was speeding again, but was expertly weaving through the lanes.

“Jason, slow down!” Damian scolded lightly, unable to admit she enjoyed the speed. “There are civilians here!”

“Alright, alright.” Jason rolled his eyes good-naturedly, slowing down softly so that the horses wouldn’t get thrown around in their trailer. From behind them, the baby began to fuss, Cassandra soothing him gently, rocking him back and forth. Damian looked towards them, being reminded of why they were here in the first place.

“Where should we go after we get to Gotham?” Damian asked softly, Jason turning to look at her. “I’m not entirely sure I want to stay, and if Father would even allow me to.”

“Hey.” Jason interrupted. “Bruce is… emotionally constipated. Emotionally challenged. He has problems expressing himself, but once he knows about you, trust me, he’s not going to want to let you go easily. Knowing him, he’ll feel guilty about it.” Jason sighed. “But I guess I haven’t seen him in a while. I get it if you don’t want to be around the baby brat, but Bruce should still want both of you.”

“I am a test tube child, unnatural and paranormal. I am… not sure how to deal with family.” she sighed. “You two have always been family. I have never… needed to learn how to be with you, it has always just been this way. I am comfortable as male, as female, and no gender at all. I am comfortable in a body of liquid, and I have always been this way. I have not ever had to explain myself to you two. You have DPAs, you know me, and he does not. I am unsure whether he will accept me.” Damian looked out the window at the cars flying by them. She felt a soft… something touch her head, and when Damian turned her head to look, Cassandra had already flicked Benjamin’s blanket over the baby.

_If he does not accept you, if you ask for it, I will throw him through a wall._ Cassandra used her telepathy once again, causing Damian to giggle at that notion. The older girl nodded firmly at Damian, fire in her eyes. Jason grinned too at the look, before refocusing his attention on merging. They merged successfully, driving towards Gotham. It would be another few hours before they got close. Gotham was still further north than most US cities. Damian looked out onto the traffic, up into the sky. Even at 2am, she could not see the stars.

“These cities are so polluted.” she murmured. She removed her feet from the dashboard, closing the window. She glanced back towards her companions, placing a hand on Jason’s shoulder. He raised his eyebrow at her, steering gently into the lane on their right, under the sign that directed them to Gotham.

“Want some coffee? Or for me to take a turn? You can sleep in the back if you’d like.”

“Nah.” Jason grinned at her. “Some coffee would be nice though. What kind did you bring?”

Damian shrugged. “We’d have to stop. I’m sure we could find a coffee shop somewhere. I’m sure that the US has some 24-hour places.”

Jason made a noncommittal grunt, moving their truck away from the highway, turning into a side road, going around and being spat out into a parking lot of a few shops with 24 hour signs, “Open” flashing in neon lights.

“I’ll go get some.” Damian murmured, stepping out of the car. She was still in the full black, but it looked semi-normal in this city. That, and she was getting restless. She closed the door behind her, opening a pocket on her thigh which held her cash she had taken from the al Ghul’s deposit of money. She pulled out a twenty and went into the store. The lady behind the counter looked too tired to deal with her, so Damian quietly bought one large coffee, and two medium teas, along with three bagels. She collected the food, tipped the lady $5, and walked off. When she stepped out of the store, there was a man standing, leaning on the wall beside the door. He ran his eyes over her and smirked. His eyes settled on her chest as she scoffed and kept walking. She heard the guy go to follow her, but before she had to deal with the sleazebag, she heard him cry out as he was picked up and slammed against the wall. She giggled at Cassandra’s protectiveness as Jason got out of the car, taking some of the food and glaring daggers at the man on the wall, staring at them in horror. Damian got back into the truck, Jason having gone to check on the horses. He returned, already biting into a bagel. He passed the food to Damian, who held her bagel in her mouth, passing the last one to Cassandra, along with a tea. They ate and drank quickly, before Jason turned the engine back on, and they kept driving. In a few miles, they’d be close to the farm they had promised the horses to, which Cassandra had set up during the drive. Damian had bought herself and Cassandra decaf tea. The tea was not up to her regular standards, but it was warm, and burned a fire into her body. She yawned around the cup, and Jason smiled at her, patting her knee as he drank his coffee.

“Just go to bed, Demonfire.” he murmured. “We’ll be there when you wake up.” Damian nodded, pulling the lever allowing her seat to move backwards. She laid down, closing her eyes and falling into a comfortable sleep.


End file.
